akk: AKK - Schriftzug aus Blitzen (Default)
akk ([personal profile] akk) wrote2005-08-30 07:18 pm

about news

I've been following the news about hurricane Katrina for the past 48 hours (give or take some sleep). By now, the reports on German TV speak of over 80 deads and costs of more than 20 billion EUR (first estimate only). It's been on all channels with news and on most of the news websites, though they all seem to run more or less the same clip.
Then I spotted this on n-tv.de:

(rough translation by me)
"Tuesday, August 30, 2005
More than 1000 dead already.
The severe storms and flooding in China this summer already caused the death of at least 1024 people. 293 are missing according to the Hochwasseramt in Beijing. The direct economical costs are said to be 10 billion EUR. 150 millionen people in 30 provinces are affected. This summer, flooding destroyed 10 million hectar agricultural land. Especially the pearl river delta in South China, the Liaohe, and the upper stream of the Huaihe were affected."

It was listed near the bottom of the page under "Miscellaneous".
Talk about bias in perspective.
elbales: (Default)

[personal profile] elbales 2005-08-30 05:51 pm (UTC)(link)
American news media are horribly biased. Our international coverage sucks. It has as long as I've been aware of the news. But I'm surprised to hear of that kind of bias in European news. You guys have the model of the BBC to follow, and their news coverage is some of the best international coverage out there.
elbales: (Default)

[personal profile] elbales 2005-08-30 06:59 pm (UTC)(link)
No, it's not.
elbales: (Default)

[personal profile] elbales 2005-08-30 07:00 pm (UTC)(link)
Yes. News shouldn't be a business, but it is. Or anyway I think things would be better if it were not.